Return-Path: Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org via listexpand id S261988AbUD1T5Y (ORCPT ); Wed, 28 Apr 2004 15:57:24 -0400 Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org id S261932AbUD1T5U (ORCPT ); Wed, 28 Apr 2004 15:57:20 -0400 Received: from smtp.mailblocks.com ([140.174.9.93]:41930 "HELO smtp3.mailblocks.com") by vger.kernel.org with SMTP id S265071AbUD1S4R (ORCPT ); Wed, 28 Apr 2004 14:56:17 -0400 Date: Wed, 28 Apr 2004 11:56:38 -0700 From: Keith D Burgess Jr Message-Id: X-MB-Message-Source: WebUI X-MB-Message-Type: User Subject: Re: [PATCH] Blacklist binary-only modules lying about their license Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed MIME-Version: 1.0 To: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org X-Priority: 3 Sender: linux-kernel-owner@vger.kernel.org X-Mailing-List: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org Content-Length: 3344 Lines: 67 Marc - Wanted to take a moment to thank you for the incredible job you and Linuxant have done supporting the Linux community. I have been following the threads on the lkml and must say that I am appalled at the way you are being treated. If it were not for Linuxant, owners of the "linux unfriendly" chipsets would be SOL. I for one was pis**d when I found out my 2100b wireless card in my brand spanking new X31 was not supported; until of course, I stumbled upon driverloader. While there are other "free" alternatives out there and also the ipw2100 project, I for one do not want to go through the effort of compiling, modifying kernel parameters etc. For me, the $20 spent on driverloader was well worth it and allowed me to scrap XP for Linux. And how about support? I surely appreciated the personal support, and hours, you spent on my laptop hanging issue. Would I recieve that from the other project's community members? With that said, I must admit that I was one of those confused users when I first saw the tainted kernel message(s). I have used Linux (I repeat, <> Linux) since about 96 or so. I don't claim to be an expert or a developer but by no means am a Linux newbie. Just because I am more interested in applications, window managers and graphical environments such as gnome and kde, then meaningless (to the user) kernel messages, does not make me a stupid user. However, not fully understanding the kernel message, I thought something was wrong the first time I noticed it (VMware modules as I recall.) The Kernel developers should be focused on bringing Linux to the attention of EVERY desktop user, not just those who are knowledgeable of kernel messages, configuration, APIs and the GPL. Why do you think that distributions such as Xandros have become so popular to users switching to Linux? It seems rather simple to me; the product just plain works! Is the diamond of their OS, the file manager, released under the GPL? Of course not, and the users do not care! They just want to be able to integrate into existing Windows environments, authenticate against their NT/AD domains and be able to map to existing Windows network resources - all seamlessly. In summary, I firmly feel that there needs to be a mindset change if Linux is to eat away at Windows market share on the desktops. Let's take a certain Linux distributor as an example; here is a quote from a recent posting on the 4K stacks issue: "Too bad. External binary modules never have, and never will hold back development. NVIDIA need to issue driver updates that work accordingly." Reworded from a user-focused perspective: "External binary modules shouldn't hold back development. Although NVIDIA needs to issue driver updates that work accordingly, <> understands that our users are the number one priority. Therefore, until new modules are released, we will offer a workaround for users who are effected." Sincerely, Keith ---------------------------------------------- Mailblocks - A Better Way to Do Email http://about.mailblocks.com/info - To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-kernel" in the body of a message to majordomo@vger.kernel.org More majordomo info at http://vger.kernel.org/majordomo-info.html Please read the FAQ at http://www.tux.org/lkml/